JOHANNESBURG, 6 March 2003 — Pakistan cricket chiefs yesterday ordered an inquiry into a disappointing World Cup campaign which left the players “ashamed, disappointed, sad and heartbroken.” The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed a three-member committee comprising two former Test players, Naushad Ali and Aquib Javed, and Sultan Rana to probe the debacle.

Pakistan, runners-up four years ago and one of the favorites here, secured victories only against minnows Namibia and the Netherlands and were knocked out in the first round with 10 points.

Worse, Pakistan lost the high-profile game against India by six wickets, their fourth World Cup defeat in a row to their arch rivals.

“We are ashamed, disappointed, sad and heartbroken after letting the nation down,” an extraordinary statement released by the squad said. “We knew that we were carrying the hopes of millions of our fans and have failed to live up to expectations.

“We tried our level best, we trained extremely hard and did everything within our reach. But things didn’t work the way we would have liked to and we have no excuses to offer.”

In a bid to cool frayed emotions at home, the statement added: “We know that tempers are high back home and rightly so because we have not played the cricket we were capable of.

“The anger of the fans is justified because they are the ones who made us the heroes and have every right to criticize us for our failures.

“In the end, we express our apologies and would like to share the grief with every single follower of the game. The sun will rise again tomorrow and Inshallah (God willing) Pakistan will bounce back and cricket would continue to flourish.”

The defeat put the careers of at least four senior players on the line: Wasim Akram, captain Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar and Rashid Latif. But Akram, the first bowler to take 500 one-day wickets, said he had not made up his mind about quitting even though he is unlikely to play in a World Cup again.

“This was not the swan song I had dreamt of,” the 36-year-old Wasim told AFP. “We did not do justice to our reputation and potential. Frankly, I have not decided about my future. I will talk it over with my family and friends and then make up my mind.”

Wasim conceded Pakistan did not deserve to go through to the Super Sixes, just as hosts South Africa and England did not deserve to move up.

“All these three big teams struggled and it only shows one has to be consistent to go far,” said Wasim, who played in his fifth World Cup.

Wicketkeeper Latif also said he may play on. “I don’t want to leave the team in such a bad state, but it all depends if the selectors want to pick me,” Latif said.

He also denied reports in the Pakistani media that captain Waqar Younis had lost the support of his players. “We all supported Waqar and everyone tried his best but nothing went right for us after we lost to Australia,” Latif said.

Pakistan return home today before a team is picked to take part in the Sharjah Cup from April 1-10 against Sri Lanka and South Africa.